Paper handling equipment for adding and similar accounting machines



Oct. 19, 1965 MASATOMO SUGIYAMA PAPER HANDLING EQUIPMENT FOR ADDING AND SIMILAR ACCOUNTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1, 1963 FIG. I

INVE NTOR MASATOMO SUGIYAMA HIS ATTORNEYS Oct. 19, 1965 MASATOMO SUGIYAMA 3,212,617

PAPER HANDLING EQUIPMENT FOR ADDING AND SIMILAR ACCOUNTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1963 FIG.4

FIG.3

FIG.6

V NTOR MASAE'PQIEO SUGIYAMA BY ,gfia

HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent M 3,212,617 PAPER HANDLING EQUIPMENT FOR ADDING AND SIMILAR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Masatomo Sugiyama, Hiratsuka City, Japan, assignor to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio,

a corporation of Maryland Filed May 1, 1963, Ser. No. 277,148 3 Claims. (Cl. 197-133) This invention relates to adding and similar accounting machines, and is directed particularly to the paperhandling equipment of such machines.

The present invention is directed to the paper-handling equipment of adding and similar accounting machines of small external dimensions and economical construction, said machines having the usual rotatable platen roll with corresponding pressure means to retain the record material in resilient feeding contact with the face of said platen roll, and with corresponding detent means for retaining such platen roll in those positions to accurately line-space the record material wound therearound, said platen roll serving as a means for presenting said record material, in the form of a detail or journal strip, to the printing mechanism for recording the values involved in various computations performed on said machines.

The invention comprises a manipulative member which normally serves as a means for severing the printed portion of the record strip from the unprinted web thereof, said member movable from a normal severing position to an intermediate position to disable the detent means for the platen roll, to permit manual rotation of said platen roll in either direction to fast-feed the record strip, said member movable from intermediate position to an extreme position to retain such platen roll detent means dis abled and at the same time to further disable the platen roll pressure means to free the record strip for unrestricted removal from or insertion around such platen roll.

Generally it is an object of this invention to provide improved means to facilitate the insertion and removal of strip record material around and from around the platen roll of an adding or similar accounting machine.

Another object is the provision of a manipulative member to serve normally as a means for severing a printed portion of a record strip from the web thereof, said member movable to an intermediate position to disable the line-space retaining detent means from the platen roll, so that said roll may be freely rotated either clockwise or counter-clockwise to fast-feed the record strip, said member movable to an extreme position to retain such detent means disabled and to simultaneously move the pressure means out of engagement with the record strip and the platen roll, to permit unrestricted insertion of the web of the record strip around said platen roll and unrestricted removal of the strip from around said platen roll.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the platen roll and associated parts forming a unit for presenting strip record material to the printing means.

FIG. 2 is a disassembled perspective view showing in detail the parts of the platen roll mechanism, shown assembled in a complete unit in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a left side elevation showing the multi-purpose severing member in normal, or home, position, in which it serves as a means for severing the printed portion of the record strip from the web thereof.

3,212,617 Patented Oct. 19, 1965 FIG. 4 is a left side elevation showing the movable severing member in its intermediate position, in which the detent retaining means for the platen roll is disabled, so that said roll may be freely rotated in either direction for unrestricted feeding of the record material wound therearound.

FIG. 5 is a left side elevation showing the severing member in its extreme rearward position, which, in addition to maintaining the platen-roll-retaining means disabled, also moves the pressure means out of engagement with the record strip and the periphery of the platen roll to permit unrestricted removal and insertion of said record strip from and around said platen roll.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a portion of the toothed severing surface of the record material severing member.

Description Referring to the drawings, in the different figures of which similar reference numerals refer to similar parts, the present invention comprises a rotatable platen roll 20, made of rubber or other suitable material, secured on a shaft 21 journaled in the similar side plates of a platen frame 22, said side plates having forward extensions of similar outline with axially-aligned holes 23, which engage a shaft (not shown) supported in the machine framework, for rockably supporting the platen frame 22. Secured on the right-hand end of the shaft 21 is a turning knob 24 for rotating said platen to feed a strip 19 of record material supported thereby. Secured on the left-hand end of the shaft 21 is a feed and retaining ratchet 25, the teeth of which are normally engaged by a retaining roller 26 free on a stud secured in a detent arm 27 rotatably supported on a stud 18 secured in the left side plate of the frame 22. A spring 28, tensioned between the upper end of the detent arm 27 and a stud 29 in a record-stripsevering member or bar 30, normally urges said arm 27 clockwise to maintain the roller 26 in yielding engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 25 to permit line-spacing movement of said platen roll.

Feeding mechanism (not shown) coacts with the teeth of the ratchet 25, as the frame 22 is rocked back and forth from viewing position to printing position, to advance said ratchet, the shaft 21, and the platen roll 20 counter-clockwise to line-space the record material supported by said platen roll.

The severing or tearing bar 30 is preferably made of transparent plastic material and has rearwardly-disposed side arms which straddle the side plates of the platen frame 22 and are pivotally supported on axially-aligned trunnion screw studs 31, threaded into corresponding holes in said side plates of the frame 22.

The record material is retained yieldingly in engagement with the periphery of the platen roll 20, for feeding purposes, by a pressure roller 34 rotatably supported on a short shaft 35 extending between a pair of similar arms 36, in turn rotatably supported on a rod 37 extending between the side plates of the frame 22. The pressure roller 34 fits snugly between the inside surfaces of the arms 36, and a stud 38, secured between rearward extensions of said arms, assists the shaft 35 in maintaining said arms 36 in proper spaced relationship to each other. A spring 39, tensioned between a slot formed in the center of the stud 38 and a bent-over tongue 40 formed on the frame 22, urges, through the arms 36, the pressure roller 34 into yielding engagement with the record material 19 and the platen roll 20, so that rotation of said platen roll will feed the record material. As shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rearward extensions of the arms 36 extend through corresponding parallel clearance slots 41 formed in the cross member of the frame 22.

Referring to the variou figures of the drawings, a guide plate and shield 42 is provided for guiding the record material 19 around the platen roll and for shielding said record material from the inking ribbon to pre vent it from being blurred thereby. The guide 42 fits inside the side plates of the frame 22 and is provided with downwardly-extending ears 43 and 44, having slots which freely engage the rod 37. The guide 42 has rearward bent-over extensions 45 and 46, which fit between the outside surfaces of the side plates of the frame 22 and the inside surfaces of the side arms of the severing bar 30. Each of the extensions 45 and 46 has an open-ended slot which freely engages the corresponding trunnion stud 31, to shiftably mount said guide 42 in the platen frame 22. The guide 42 has, in its front, an opening 47, which provides clearance for the inking ribbon and the printing type wheels, when the platen assembly is rocked forwardly to engage the record material 19 with said inking ribbon and said type wheels, to record data on said record material. The guide 42 likewise has an opening 48 located beneath the opening 47, which provides clearance for the pressure roller 34 to permit yielding engagement of said pressure roller 34 with the platen roll 26), for the purpose of feeding the record material.

As previously explained, the severing bar 30 has three positions, a forward or normal record-strip-severing position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3; an intermediate, ratchet and detent arm disabling position, as shown in FIG. 4; and an extreme rearward position, as shown in FIG. 5, for disengaging the pressure roller from the record material and the platen roll to open the throat formed by the guide shield 42, so that said record material may be freely removed from or threaded around said platen roll.

When the severing bar 30 is in its normal position, the record strip 19 passes beneath said bar, as shown in FIG. 3, so that its upper end is in severing relationship with a series of severing teeth 49 (FIGS. 3 and 6) formed on the inside surface of said bar. The printed portion of the record strip 19 may be severed from the web thereof by pulling said printed portion forwardly against the teeth 49. Moving the severing bar 30 from its normal, or home, position, as shown in FIG. 3, to its intermediate position, as shown in FIG. 4, causes the spring 28 to be shortened and relieved of its tension and to function as a link to push the detent arm 27 and its roller 26 rearwardly, or counter-clockwise, to disengage said roller 26 from the teeth of the ratchet 25, to permit the platen roll to be freely turned in either direction, by use of the knob 24, to fast-feed the record strip 19. Moving the severing bar 30 from its intermediate position, as shown in FIG. 4, to its extreme rearward position, as shown in FIG. 5, causes shoulders 50, formed on the side arms of said severing bar, to engage the rearward edges of corresponding cars 51, formed on the extensions 45 and 46, to rock the record strip guide 42 forwardly, or clockwise, on the rod 37.

By referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the ends of the shaft for the pressure roller 34 extend outwardly beyond each of the supporting arms 36, and likewise extend beyond opposite edges of the opening 48 in the guide shield 42, whereupon full counter-clockwise movement of the severing bar 30 to its extreme position, shown in FIG. 5, causes the edges of said opening 48 to engage the extending ends of the shaft 35 and rock said shaft, the pressure roller 34, and the arms 36 clockwise, against the tension of the spring 39, to move said pressure roller out of engagement with the record strip 19 and the platen roll 20, as shown in FIG. 5. In this case, the pressure roller 34 no longer obstructs the opening or throat formed by the inner surface of the guide shield 42 and the outer surface of the platen roll 20, so that the record strip 19 may be freely removed from or inserted around said platen roll.

It will be noted, by referring to FIG. 5, that the detent roller 26 is retained out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 25 when the severing bar 30 is moved to its extreme rearward position. It will likewise be noted that the rear edge of the guide shield 42 is curved downwardly as indicated by the reference numeral 52, to facilitate inserting the end of the record strip 19 between said guide shield and the outer surface of the platen roll 20.

It is believed that a full understanding of the operation of the comparatively simple mechanism disclosed herein will have been obtained from reading the foregoing description; therefore no further description of operation is deemed necessary.

While the form of mechanism shown and described herein is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment disclosed herein, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described for presenting a strip of record material to the printing mechanism of an adding or similar accounting machine, the combination of a platen roll to present the record strip to the printing mechanism; guide means to guide the record strip around the platen roll; pressure means to retain the record strip in resilient feeding engagement with the platen roll; a manipulative member movable to three positions, said member being normally positioned to serve as a means for severing the printed portion of the record strip; means including an arm and a roller to restrain the platen roll against free rotation; yieldable means between the arm and the manipulative member and effective when said member is in its normal position to yieldingly urge said arm and the roller into restraining position, said yieldable means effective when the manipulative member is moved from its normal position to a second position, to function as a link to move the arm and the roller out of restraining position to free the platen roll for unrestrained rotation in either direction to permit fast-feeding of the record strip; and coacting means on the manipulative member and the guide means, and on the guide means and the pressure means to cause, when said member is moved from its second position to a third position, said guide means to disable the pressure means to free the record strip for unrestricted removal from or insertion between said guide means and the platen roll.

2. In a device of the character described for presenting a strip of record material to the printing mechanism of an adding or similar accounting machine, the combination of a platen roll for supporting the record strip in printing position; a frame to rotatably support the platen roll; a ratchet mounted integral with the platen roll; a detent mouned on the frame and coacting with the ratchet to restrain the platen roll against free rotation; a record material severing member mounted on the frame and positionable to first, second, and third positions, said member being normally positioned in its first position where same provides for selective severing of the printed portion of the record strip; pressure means mounted in the frame for retaining the record strip in resilient feeding engagement with the platen roll; guide means to guide the record strip around the platen roll and into coacting relationship with the member and the pressure means, said guide means being shiftably mounted in the frame; yieldable means interconnecting the detent and the member and eifective when said member is in its first position to yieldingly urge the detent into restraining relationship with the ratchet, said yieldable means functioning as a link when the member is moved from its first position to its second position to move the detent out of restraining relationship with the ratchet to free the platen roll for unrestrained rotation in either direction to permit fast-feeding of the record strip; and coacting means on the severing member and the guide,

and on said guide and the pressure means, and effective when said severing member is moved from its second position to its third position to disable said pressure means to free the record strip for unrestricted movement in either direction between the guide and the platen roll.

3. In a device of the character described for presenting a strip of record material to the printing mechanism of an adding or similar accounting machine, the combination of a platen roll for presenting the record strip to the printing mechanism; a frame to rotatably support the platen roll; a ratchet integral with the platen roll; an arm pivotally mounted on the frame; a roller supported by the arm and coacting with the ratchet to normally restrain the platen roll against free rotation; a severing member mounted on the frame and movable to second and third positions from a normal, record material severing position; a pressure roller for retaining the record strip in resilient feeding engagement with the platen roll; a shaft to notatably support the pressure roller; means to rockably support the shaft and the roller in the frame; yieldable means coacting with the supporting means to urge the pressure roller into resilient engagement with the record strip and the platen roll; guide means shiftably mounted in the frame and constructed and arranged to guide the record strip around the platen roll and into coacting relationship with the pressure roller and the severing member; yieldable means tensioned between the arm and the severing member and effective when said member is in ing engagement with the ratchet, said yieldable means functioning as a link when the member is moved from its normal position to its second position, to move the arm and the roller out of restraining relationship with the ratchet to free the platen roll for unrestricted rotation in either direction to facilitate manual transporting of the record strip; coacting surfaces on the severing member and the guide means, and effective to shift said guide means when said member is moved from its second position to its third position; and surfaces on the guide means coacting with the shaft for the pressure roller, when said guide means is shifted, to rock said roller out of engagement with the record strip and the platen roll to free said record strip for unrestricted movement between the guide means and the platen roll, for the purpose of inserting or removing said record strip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,426,804 8/22 Adams 197133 2,241,357 5/41 Paschke 197133 2,399,369 4/46 McFarland 197-138 X 2,510,626 6/50 Geisheck 197138 X 2,808,919 10/57 Frobel 197-133 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED FOR PRESENTING A STRIP OF RECORD MATERIAL TO THE PRINTING MECHANISM OF AN ADDING OR SIMILAR ACCOUNTING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION OF A PLATE ROLL TO PRESENT THE RECORD STRIP TO THE PRINTING MECHANISM; GUIDE MEANS TO GUIDE THE RECORD STRIP AROUND THE PLATEN ROLL; PRESSURE MEANS TO RETAIN THE RECORD STRIP IN RESILIENT FEEDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PLATEN ROLL; A MANIPULATIVE MEMBER MOVABLE TO THREE POSITIONS, SAID MEMBER BEING NORMALLY POSITIONED TO SERVE AS A MEANS FOR SEVERING THE PRINTED PORTION OF THE RECORD STRIP; MEANS INCLUDING AN ARM AND A ROLLER TO RESTRAIN THE PLATEN ROLL AGAINST FREE ROTATION; YIELDABLE MEANS BETWEEN THE ARM AND THE MANIPULATIVE MEMBER AND EFFECTIVE WHEN SAID MEMBER IS IN ITS NORMAL POSITION TO YIELDINGLY URGE SAID ARM AND THE ROLLER INTO RESTRAINING POSITION, SAID YIELDABLE MEANS EFFECTIVE WHEN THE MANIPULATIVE MEMBER IS MOVED FROM ITS NORMAL POSITION TO A SECOND POSITION, TO FUNCTION AS A LINK TO MOVE THE ARM AND THE ROLLER OUT OF RESTRAINING POSITION TO FREE THE PLATEN ROLL FOR UNRESTRAINED ROTATION IN EITHER DIRECTION TO PERMIT FAST-FEEDING OF THE RECORD STRIP; AND COACTING MEANS ON THE MANIPULATIVE MEMBER AND THE GUIDE MEANS, AND ON THE GUIDE MEANS AND THE PRESSURE MEANS TO CAUSE, WHEN SAID MEMBER IS MOVED FROM ITS SECOND POSITION TO A THIRD POSITION, SAID GUIDE MEANS TO DISABLE THE PRESSURE MEANS TO FREE THE RECORD STRIP FOR UNRESTRICTED REMOVAL FROM OR INSERTION BETWEEN SAID GUIDE MEANS AND THE PLATEN ROLL. 